Mission Statement The Program Features Admission Costs

Financial Aid

Financial Assistance Options for MCP students
(updated by Ian Wight, June 30, 2004)


In a perfect world all graduate students would be fully-funded and able to devote all their time to their studies, with no competing diversions to assist with finances. The reality is that such fully-funded students are by far the exception than the rule, especially in programs such as ours, where most students mainly fund themselves from personal savings, family or government loans, and/or part-time work. And most of our students do seem to manage to complete their four terms of coursework on this basis, without too much long-term financial pain. In fact, most get good jobs quickly - sometimes too quickly, in terms of being diverted from quickly completing their major degree project.

Most students are interested in any form of financial assistance that can help out with at least some of their program expenses. The best form of assistance is that provided through scholarships, fellowships and the like. These are usually provided on a merit basis, involving strong competition, often favouring the academically strongest students. Other forms of assistance are more like a part-time job, featuring remuneration for teaching or research assistance services in the university context. These are usually not so competitive, but effort is still required to establish suitability for the position.

The best opportunities for obtaining either form of assistance generally occur once students are actually in the program, and have at least one term under their belt. This allows students to 'show their stuff', to establish relationships with professors, and to develop at least the beginnings of some rapport with members of the local professional practice community. More opportunities, mainly for part-time planning work outside the university, often present themselves after the internship (between Years 1 and 2), once students have had an opportunity to 'show their stuff' to prospective employers.

Many new students are naturally interested in entrance scholarships, and this is an area we are working on (it has been an emphasis in our recent Faculty Capital Campaign). However, at present we are not as able, as some other planning programs, to provide as many and as generous entry scholarships as we would like in ideal circumstances. Instead we place emphasis on the value and quality and intimacy of our program, and we find that almost all of our students are satisfied with this 'deal'. Our spaces are in heavy demand, without large entry scholarship incentives.

Only a small pool of funds is generally available each year from the Faculty for Departmental entry scholarships. These are normally allocated during the admission process, usually to secure the recruitment of academically exceptional students, or to assist in special cases involving extreme financial need. The Department also has a new Jubilee Scholarship, for which all entering students are automatically eligible, intended to support the most worthy combination of financial need and academic excellence.

The Faculty of Graduate Studies maintains a comprehensive awards data base at the following site: http://webapps.cc.umanitoba.ca/gradawards/frontPage.htm It discusses the full range of ways to finance graduate studies at the University of Manitoba. There is an opportunity to search the awards base – when doing so consider a range of keywords or phrases – in addition to ‘city plannning’ for example - that might embrace your field of interest, such as: urban studies, housing, environment etc.
A number of fellowships and scholarships are available for graduate students. They are awarded on the basis of academic excellence.

For the academically excellent, the two main University-wide opportunities comprise:

U of M Graduate Fellowships - highly competitive (generally requiring a GPA of 4.0 or greater in the previous two years of study); the Department application deadline is usually mid-January; application forms become available at the beginning of November. Web-site – View the general information, and follow the ‘application forms ‘ link, at the second point on:
http://webapps.cc.umanitoba.ca/gradawards/frontPage.htm

SSHRC Canadian Graduate Scholarships (for Master's Students) - similar to UMGFs.
http://www.sshrc.ca/web/apply/program_descriptions/fellowships/cgs_masters_e.asp


For Faculty of Architecture students, certain awards deserve to be singled out from the overall awards data base: http://webapps.cc.umanitoba.ca/gradawards/frontPage.htm

Clarence Elliott Fellowships: The Department of City Planning is one of only a few Departments in the University whose students are eligible to apply. Application deadline is usually around mid-March. Browse the A-Z listing referencing - Elliott

Fridrik Kristjansson Scholarship in Architecture: Intended to provide travel or research assistance to full-time graduate students who have completed their first year of a Faculty of Architecture graduate program. Preference given to students focusing on universal design and special needs in the planning and design of housing. Application deadline usually around mid-March. Browse the A-Z listing referencing - Kristjannsson

Maxwell Starkman Scholarship Travel Award: Available only to students in the Faculty of Architecture; a very generous award, dedicated to providing the 'freedom to explore', through travel/study, that can inform a student's Major Degree Project in a fundamental way. The travel/study is meant to precede completion of the MDP, to broaden the mind, before firming up any MDP plans. Browse the A-Z listing referencing - Starkman

Deborah J. Norden Fund: Travel and Study Grants: Those students preparing a Starkman application may also wish to consider reworking it slightly for an application to the Norden Fund http://www.archleague.org/competitions/deborah.html - also intended to benefit Architecture, Housing and Community Planning students seeking to undertake some of their studies abroad: Browse the A-Z listing referencing: Deborah J. Norden.

Corrigill Scholarship for high standing in graduate studies, to a student who proceeds either from Master's Year I to Master's Year II or in Master's Year II. Value: $500.

CMHC/Advisory Committee on Seniors Housing Award for excellence in completing Housing Studies and Projects in the field of housing for Seniors. Value: $200.

City Planning Endowment Fund was established at the Jubilee Celebration. Further information about this Fund will be available soon.

2. Teaching and Research Assistantships

  • Students amy apply to the Department Head for positions as teaching and research assistants. The availabilty of positions varies. Teaching Assistantships are rare in City Planning but are more common in Environmental Design (ED) - the Faculty's undergraduate program. They usually favour graduate students who have been in the ED program. A TA typically earns in the range of $1200 to $2500 per term. The competition for Teaching Assistantships in the Faculty of Architecture opens each summer - usually in July - when the positions are advertised on the University web-site. From the following site, select the option to view vacancies on line, and then look for the student positions:
    http://www.umanitoba.ca/admin/human_resources/employment/
  • Research Assistantships in City Planning are usually somewhat informal - dependent on individual faculty members, and whether they are holding any grants for current research. Such opportunities generally begin to open up after the first term, once a student has been able to establish a 'fit' with a particular faculty member and their research program. There is also quite a strong informal network among planning students as regards off-campus research work opportunities (a good entrée into this network is via UMAPS, the University of Manitoba Association of Planning Students)

3. Convocation Prizes and Other Awards

  • City of Winnipeg Mayor's Medal
  • awarded for achievement in studies relating to urban issues.
  • Manitoba Professional Planners Institute (MPPI)
  • Award of Excellence
  • a plaque and gift for the student with the highest academic standing in the MCP program.

4. Graduate Student Travel Funds

  • The Graduate Students' Association has limited funds to assist graduate students with travel costs to present papers/posters at conferences. The funds are awarded in April of each year and at other times should further funding become available. Applications are received throughout the year and are dealt with on a first-come basis depending on the availability of funds. The following amounts will be awarded: up to $200 for travel in North America and up to $300 for travel overseas.
  • The University of Manitoba Alumni Association Fund has limited funds to assist graduate students who are presenting academic papers at conferences, symposiums, etc., and require travel assistance. A limit of $250 is normal.

See also Student Resources page for other funding. For example The Canadian Institute of Planners has a Student Scholarship Trust Fund and Fund for leading research.

CIP Student Scholarship Fund http://www.cip-icu.ca/English/academic/trust.htm For student members of the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP), opportunities are available – requiring an application in the Fall, around mid-November - in connection with the CIP Student Scholarship Fund. Your ‘Major Degree Project’ (MDP) proposals can be the basis for such scholarship applications. The intent is to assist in defraying the costs incurred in the research, preparation and production of a thesis, practicum or major research paper. To be eligible you must be a student member of CIP in good standing.